Transcript of "Demonstrated interest and how collegas count the ways leads matter by lisa rubin johnson, uci praciticum august 2013"

1.
How
Do
I
Love
Thee?
Demonstrated
Interest
and
How
Colleges
Count
the
Ways
Lisa
Rubin-­‐Johnson,
UCI
Practicum
August
12,
2013
Demonstrated
Interest
has
become
of
growing
importance
in
the
college
process
over
the
past
decade.
According
to
the
NACAC
2011
Factors
in
the
Admissions
Decision
Report1
and
report
by
the
Chronicle
of
Higher
Education
on
the
Dynamics
of
Demonstrated
Interest2,
a
total
of
50.2%
of
all
colleges
consider
Demonstrated
Interest
of
Moderate
Importance
(29.7%)
to
Considerable
Importance
(20.5%,
up
from
only
7%
in
2003)
in
making
admissions
decisions.
Increasing
numbers
of
colleges
are
tracking
demonstrated
interest
for
their
Strategic
Management
Enrollment
(SEM)
programs.
A
2013
report
on
the
IECA
Conference
in
Philadelphia
reported
that
Demonstrated
Interest
and
Early
Applications
can
result
in
the
equivalent
of
a
100
point
increase
on
the
SATs
and
an
extra
.25
increase
in
a
student’s
GPA3.
My
research
paper
will
review
what
Demonstrated
Interest
is,
how
it
is
tracked
by
colleges,
how
to
find
out
the
level
of
Demonstrated
Interest
Importance
for
any
college,
and
13
ways
a
student
can
demonstrate
interest
during
the
college
process.
What
is
“Demonstrated
Interest”?
“Demonstrated
Interest”
is
a
term
used
by
colleges
to
describe
actions
by
a
student
that
gauge
how
much
he/she
wants
to
attend
their
college.
Every
contact
action
by
a
student
is
tracked
by
the
college
to
summarize
the
student
expressing
to
the
college
“how
much
I
love
you”.
Demonstrated
Interest
is
one
of
the
factors
measured
in
the
Common
Data
Set
(Section
C7),
and
can
improve
a
student’s
chance
of
acceptance.
Demonstrated
Interest
can
be
shown
at
various
entry
points
in
the
Strategic
Enrollment
Management
Funnel
(SEM
Funnel)
and
is
tracked
using
software
by
colleges.
Below
is
the
Noel-­‐Levitz
SEM
Funnel
diagram4.
Students
can
show
demonstrated
interest
in
the
top
three
sections
of
the
SEM
Funnel
–
Prospects,
Inquiries,
and
Applicants,
plus
during
the
waitlist
process.
The
purpose
of
an
effective
SEM
Funnel
is
to
advance
the
student
from
the
prospect
pool
into
the
subsequent
levels
towards
acceptance
and
enrollment.
In
order
to
remain
successful
in
today’s
competitive
college
landscape,
colleges
need
to
use
new
metrics
and
tracking
systems
and
improve
the
design
of
their
targeted
communications
plan
to
attract
the
type
of
students
they
wish
to
enroll
and
accurately
gauge
which
students
are
likely
to
accept
an
admit
decision.
Noel-­‐Levitz
Strategic
Enrollment
Management
(SEM)
Funnel
Diagram

2.
How
do
Colleges
Track
Demonstrated
Interest?
On
June
19,
2013
in
the
Huffington
Post,
college
enrollment
expert
and
Executive
Vice
President
of
Augustana
College
in
Illinois
Ken
Barnds
created
a
buzz
in
higher
education
by
blogging
details
of
how
college
admissions
offices
spend
large
sums
of
money
to
track
student
data
including
demonstrated
interest,
using
sophisticated
data-­‐mining
software.
In
addition
to
purchasing
names
of
students
and
their
data
from
list
providers
like
the
College
Board
and
ACT
(at
$.35
per
student),
pulling
a
student’s
financial
information
off
their
website’s
Net
Price
Calculator,
and
even
looking
at
the
position
of
colleges
listed
on
a
student’s
FAFSA,
colleges
also
pay
a
lot
of
attention
to
actions
showing
Demonstrated
Interest.
Since
yield
is
crucial
to
the
economic
success
of
colleges,
all
this
data
gets
entered
into
the
college’s
SEM
Funnel
to
predict
which
students
will
ultimately
matriculate.
Higher
education
research
has
proven,
statistically,
that
students
who
demonstrate
the
most
interest
during
the
college
process
translate
into
students
who
are
most
likely
to
enroll
at
their
institution.
Sophisticated
mathematical
formulas
in
the
SEM
software
track
every
contact
a
student
makes
–
or
does
not
make
–
totals
weighted
points
for
each
demonstrated
interest
action,
and
then
a
code
is
assigned
to
each
student
which
is
used
for
their
admissions
decision.
Often
the
biggest
points
go
for
actions
like
Facebook
“Likes”
and
tweets
about
the
college.
Mr.
Barnds
states:
“From
day
one,
a
student
who
called,
emailed
or
wrote
a
letter
requesting
information
may
receive
more
care
and
attention
during
the
recruitment
process.
Why?
Big
data
reminds
us
that
the
student
took
the
initiative
and
sought
our
college
out.
We
say
thanks
to
big
data.”5
(Please
see
what
happened
when
my
student
did
this
under
#2
“Request
Info”
in
the
list
of
13
ways
to
Demonstrate
Interest).
Students
need
to
approach
the
college
process
understanding
that
every
interaction
with
a
college
–
called
a
“Demonstrated
Interest
Trail”-­‐-­‐
may
be
tracked
and
given
points
towards
their
admission
decision.
Even
when
a
student
is
working
on
the
Common
Application
and
has
entered
a
working
list
of
colleges,
any
data
entered
like
academics
/GPA/standardized
test
scores,
activities,
and
financial
status
can
be
mined
and
given
points
by
the
SEM
software.
If
a
student
wants
to
keep
this
information
private,
much
like
their
Facebook,
they
should
change
their
profile
so
this
information
cannot
be
shared.
Colleges
are
always
watching
and
counting!
How
can
an
IEC
or
student
find
out
how
much
a
college
cares
about
Demonstrated
Interest?
The
Common
Data
Set
(CDS),
a
common
form
which
most
colleges
complete
each
year,
is
a
compilation
of
data
which
includes,
among
other
information,
admissions
and
enrollment
data
from
the
college.
Section
C7
-­‐
"Relative
Importance
of
Common
Academic
and
Non-­‐Academic
Admission
Criteria"
lists
factors
important
in
the
freshman
admission
decision,
including
“Level
of
Applicant’s
Interest”.
Different
colleges
have
different
relative
importance
of
factors.
Following
are
three
different
C7
tables,
which
each
demonstrate
a
different
priority
of
importance
in
Demonstrated
Interest.
The
first
is
Syracuse
University’s
Table
of
Importance
Factors
where
“Level
of
Applicant’s
Interest”
(Demonstrated
Interest)
is
listed
as
the
most
and
only
“Very
Important”
Factor
in
the
admissions
decision:

3.
SYRACUSE
UNIVERSITY
COMMON
DATA
SET
2012-­‐2013
Now,
as
a
contrast
let’s
look
at
Cornell
University’s
CDS
for
Section
C7.
Demonstrated
Interest
is
not
a
factor
at
Cornell:
CORNELL
UNIVERSITY
COMMON
DATA
SET
2012-­‐
2013

4.
As
a
final
contrast,
here
is
Connecticut
College’s
CDS
Section
C7
–
Demonstrated
Interest
is
considered,
but
is
not
considered
very
important.
CONNECTICUT
COLLEGE
COMMON
DATA
SET
2012-­‐2013
In
general,
the
most
selective
colleges,
like
the
Ivies,
do
not
factor
in
Demonstrated
Interest
as
they
don’t
need
to
since
these
colleges
are
so
well
subscribed
by
applicants.
Many
colleges
that
care
a
lot
about
Demonstrated
Interest
are
in
the
middle
range
of
selectivity
rates.
Before
a
student
applies
to
any
college,
it
would
be
wise
for
he/she
or
the
IEC
to
check
each
school’s
CDS
to
see
how
important
Demonstrated
Interest
is
(search
on
“Common
Data
Set
‘College
X’”
or
go
to
the
college’s
Institutional
Research
webpage).
When
in
doubt,
it
is
always
advised
to
demonstrate
interest,
as
it
can
help,
and
rarely
hurt,
unless
the
applicant
efforts
become
annoying
to
the
admissions
department.
13
Ways
Students
Can
Demonstrate
Interest
(in
order
of
the
college
process)
1. Recruitment
Material:
Respond
early
to
recruitment
mailings
and
e-­‐mails
from
colleges
to
get
on
mailing
lists.
2. Request
Info:
Fill
out
“Request
Info”
form
on
college
admissions
website
to
get
on
mailing
lists.
(Note:
My
practicum
student
did
this
for
Tulane
and
received
an
e-­‐mail
back
the
same
day
saying
thank
you
and
his
admissions
fee
would
be
waived.)
3. Become
“College
Literate”:
Research
college
websites
to
become
literate
about
specific
strengths
and
signature
programs
at
each
school
in
preparation
to
talk
with
college
representatives
on
campus,
online
or
by
phone.
4. College
Fairs:
Attend
College
Fairs,
ask
questions,
and
sign
up
for
more
info
or
give
the
college
rep
your
card.

5.
5. Contact
Local
Admissions
Rep:
Contact
the
college’s
local
admissions
rep
with
to
start
to
develop
name
recognition.
Consider
setting
up
a
Google
e-­‐mail
account
for
college
correspondence
with
your
photo
attached
to
put
a
face
to
the
name.
6. Social
Media:
“Like”
the
college’s
Facebook
page
or
other
Social
Media.
Be
careful
with
this
if
you
have
a
Facebook
page
with
any
inappropriate
comments
in
the
news
feed.
Admissions
officers
can
also
find
you
this
way.
7. Campus
Visits:
Sign
up
for
and
attend
campus
tours
and
information
sessions.
Many
colleges
pay
attention
to
the
efforts
that
students
take
to
visit
their
college,
especially
full
pay
students.
According
the
The
Chronicle
of
Higher
Education,
many
colleges
will
not
accept
students
if
they
have
not
taken
the
time
to
visit
their
campus
if
it
is
within
6
hours
of
the
student’s
home2.
Some
colleges
waive
the
admissions
fee
if
the
student
comes
for
a
campus
tour.
Always
try
to
find
out
who
the
local
admissions
rep
is
while
at
a
campus
visit,
and
ask
for
his/her
card.
8. College
Interviews:
Interviewing
with
either
an
alumni
interviewer,
and
especially
an
admissions
officer,
puts
your
face
to
the
name
on
your
application,
and
gives
you
the
opportunity
to
talk
about
your
strengths
and
how
they
would
fit
with
the
strengths
and
mission
of
the
school,
which
you
have
already
researched.
9. Supplemental
Essays:
A
targeted
supplemental
essay
showing
you
understand
the
strengths
and
programs
of
the
college
to
which
you
are
applying
and
how
it
fits
with
your
strengths
will
show
admissions
that
you
will
be
a
good
match
for
their
school.
If
you
really
feel
that
this
college
is
your
first
choice,
state
it
clearly
in
the
supplement.
10. Apply
EA
or
EA,
REA
or
SEA:
Applying
Early
Decision
shows
the
college
that
the
student
believes
this
is
the
best
fit
college
for
them.
Applying
Early
Action,
although
non-­‐binding,
shows
proactivity
in
the
process
and
interest
in
the
college.
Restricted
Early
Action,
an
option
for
colleges
like
Harvard,
Stanford,
and
Yale,
is
similar
to
ED
except
it
is
non-­‐binding,
but
restricts
the
applicant
from
applying
early
to
any
other
private
college,
so
in
that
way
it
shows
singular
focus.
Selective
Early
Action
is
an
option
at
Tulane
(which
offers
EA
and
SEA),
and
lets
the
student
tell
the
school
just
how
interested
they
are
without
the
decision
being
binding.
Acceptance
rates
are
usually
higher
for
Early
Applications;
however,
the
applicant
pool
is
usually
stronger.
11.
Apply
Before
Any
Deadline
Date:
Instead
of
waiting
until
the
deadline
date
to
submit
an
application,
submitting
an
early
Rolling
Admissions
application
or
any
other
type
of
EA/ED/RD
application
in
the
weeks
before
the
deadline
gives
some
admissions
offices
a
chance
to
consider
your
application
first
and
make
a
decision
before
the
rush
of
other
applications.
As
a
Cornell
admissions
rep
stated
this
year,
“Better
to
be
the
#2
tuba
player
considered
than
the
#20
tuba
player.”
12. Thank
You
notes
or
e-­‐mails:
If
an
Admissions
Officer
or
Alumni
Interviewer
has
either
interviewed
you
or
been
of
help
in
answering
questions,
students
should
at
the
very
least
send
a
thank
you
e-­‐mail
and
preferably
a
hand-­‐
written
and
mailed
note.
Since
hand-­‐written
notes
are
a
dying
tradition,
this
will
especially
make
the
student
standout
for
the
effort
they
took.
Plus,
it
is
the
polite
thing
to
do!
13. Waitlist:
If
a
student
is
waitlisted
and
interested
in
attending
a
college,
he/she
should
mail
their
waitlist
reply
card
ASAP
and
discuss
with
their
high
school
counselor
and
IEC
the
best
way
to
communicate
with
the
college
during
the
waitlist
period.
Generally,
I
recommend
a
student
write
a
note
to
the
school
including
any
new
information
that
would
show
positive
progress
and
reiterate
interest,
and
then
follow
up
with
another
short
note
about
a
month
later.
Even
if
the
student
does
not
get
off
the
waitlist,
they
can
look
back
on
the
process
and
know
that
they
did
everything
in
their
power
to
communicate
their
interest.

6.
Final
Recommendations
When
in
doubt,
students
should
always
demonstrate
interest
in
as
many
appropriate
ways
possible,
as
most
colleges
will
track
their
interest
and
give
them
points
in
the
SEM
Funnel.
Students
should
also
be
very
aware
about
how
colleges
track
their
information,
and
protect
their
information
if
desired.
Treat
each
college
as
if
it
is
your
first
choice.
For
students
that
have
a
hard
time
executing
this
concept,
I
suggest
that
they
think
of
each
college
as
a
friend
on
their
birthday:
that
person
may
not
be
your
very
best
friend,
but
on
that
day,
you
focus
on
your
friend
and
reflect
on
their
special
and
unique
qualities.
When
touring
a
campus,
interviewing,
or
writing
a
supplement
for
a
college,
students
should
“celebrate”
that
school.
Often,
strongly
tracked
demonstrated
interest
will
help
an
admissions
committee
feel
confident
about
an
admit
decision,
or
separate
a
student
from
the
pack
of
applicants
who
have
similar
profiles.
References:
1
2
3
4
5
NACAC
Factors
in
the
Admissions
Decision:
http://www.nacacnet.org/studentinfo/articles/Pages/Factors-­‐in-­‐
the-­‐Admission-­‐Decision.aspx
The
Chronicle
of
Higher
Education
-­‐-­‐
The
Dynamics
of
Demonstrated
Interest:
http://chronicle.com/blogs/headcount/the-­‐dynamics-­‐of-­‐demonstrated-­‐interest/24288
IECA
Conference
in
Philadelphia
Provides
Valuable
Information: http://bmarkassoc.com/2013/05/iecaconference-in-philadelphia-provides-valuable-information/
Noel-­‐Levitz
Retooling
the
Enrollment
Funnel:
Strategies
and
Metrics
for
a
New
Era:
http://www.noellevitz.com/documents/shared/Papers_and_Research/2009/RetoolingTheEnrollmentFunnel010
9.pdf
Huffington
Post
–
Does
Big
Data
Know
Best?
NSA
and
College
Admissions
:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/w-­‐
kent-­‐barnds/does-­‐big-­‐data-­‐know-­‐best-­‐n_b_3460096.html
Additional
Sources:
Playing
the
Demonstrated
Interest
Game:
http://collegeexplorations.blogspot.com/2013/06/playing-­‐demonstrated-­‐
interest-­‐game.html
College
Explorations
-­‐
More
Ways
to
Demonstrate
Interest:
http://collegeexplorations.blogspot.com/2011/07/more-­‐
ways-­‐to-­‐demonstrate-­‐interest-­‐in.html
The
Daily
Best
Education:
College
Admissions
Secret
Strategy:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2010/09/26/college-­‐admissions-­‐secret-­‐
strategy.html?extern_usr=lrjcdc%40aol.com&extern_id=49777&course_id=11090